Argentinian coast guard footage of a vessel said to be the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 from China, which was sunk by Argentina’s coast guard.
Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Argentina’s coast guard sank a Chinese trawler that was fishing illegally in its territorial waters after it tried to ram a coast guard boat, authorities said on Tuesday.

In the high-seas chase a coast guard vessel on Monday pursued the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 toward international waters, firing warning shots across the Chinese boat’s bow as it attempted to raise the crew by radio.

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“On several occasions the offending ship performed manoeuvres designed to force a collision with the coast guard, putting at risk not only its own crew but coast guard personnel, who were then ordered to shoot parts of the vessel,” the coast guard said in a statement.

The crew abandoned ship when the vessel began to go down. Four were rescued by the coast guard while others were picked up by another Chinese vessel shadowing the pursuit.

The drama marks a first test for relations between centre-right President Mauricio Macri and Beijing.